Of Coffees And Nerds
by RoyalInBlue
Summary: A Coffee Shop in an idle tourist locale has close clientele. There's an angry Barista, an insane Lawyer, a Cat-obsessed junior worker, a grouchy IT expert, and several others. As life goes on, unexpected happenings will bring them and others together in ways none of them could expect.
1. Chapter 1

In a little town right by a pleasant enough beach, a Coffee Shop stood. Not a Starbucks, and not even part of a chain. The sign read "Quick Coffee!" With a cheesy little slogan (Jumpstart your day Quickly!) right underneath. It was an unassuming place, and rarely ever saw a lot of traffic. However, it's clientele were a loyal group, and knew each other well. Together, they kept the place open almost on their own.

Inside, the place was slightly dingy, but overall homely. Old tables and chairs,signed portraits of celebrities long past their allotted fifteen minutes, even a rusty old Jukebox, which was the subject of some debate regarding it's working condition.

The head barista was a hell of a grouch, and everyone knew it. No inside voice, a default scowl, and an attitude that would get most people fired. However, he made a hell of a brew, and once you got past his initial flaws, Karkat Vantas was an alright guy. A good listener, and a lover of the ritzier novels and films, and this was no secret. Make so much as a mention of a book, or a movie, and he would drop everything and almost teleport into the conversation, talking about his favourite actors, writers and stories and detailed, unwarranted explanations as to why.

One of the few customers that got a little less of his usual attitude walked into the shop. Tapping a bright-red walking cane as she walked, with a grin that altered between dangerously fun-loving and a full on Slasher Smile she'd come in, like clockwork, 8 AM on weekdays. She ordered a Mocha every time, and tipped a dollar in 5 cent coins. Nobody knew where she got them from, but every night, when poor Karkat had to count out the change, howls of anguish ran through the neighbourhood.

She was just a bit shorter than Karkat, which was a surprise, given Karkats relatively miniature stature. The two of them would bicker over the counter for a good half-hour every time she entered the store. It was practically it's own talk show. Terezi would come in and mention something she knew Karkat didn't like, and then just sit there stoking his flames of fury as he ranted until she had to leave. Yes, Terezi Pyrope knew exactly how to push Karkats buttons and she did so with relish.

Their relationship, if it could be called that, was the very definition of turbulent. Some days, they would rail at each other like it was going out of fashion, ready to come to blows at any moment. Other days, they were somewhat more amiable, chatting and only occasionally raising their voices on a subject. It was quite the betting game between the other patrons of the store.

Speaking of Relationships, Other customers, and the store itself, another face slipped through the door, mindful to step around the bickering duo as she tied an apron around her waist. She was barely 5 feet tall, even shorter than Terezi, with messy, short hair and a slight cleft lip that gave the appearance of a cats mouth. Unbeknownst to Karkat, there were some other customers waiting for service, and Nepeta Leijon tended to them courteously and quickly.

She was the only other Barista at the Coffee Shop, and idle rumor had it that she was mostly there out of unrequited affection for the head Barista. She was certainly good at her job, however. Most people agreed she didn't quite have the flair for making drinks that her senior did, but they were well worth the price and a staple for many peoples day. She served with a smile, and always got a decent tip, to Karkats mild frustration.

That wasn't to say Nepeta was just a blank smiling slate. Once, a customer had attempted to cop a feel whilst she was tending the coffee machine. One scalding and two bruises later, she was never messed with again. She always smelled like cat, and it was strangely comforting. Although Karkat repeatedly requested otherwise, on her head was stubbornly affixed a blue beanie, resembling a cats face.

Meanwhile, the argument was coming to a close, Karkats face returning to it's customary puce, while Terezi was bent near-double with cackling laughter, her walking stick the only support. Her voice was odd, a slightly high-pitched thing that had a not-uncomfortable quality of nails on chalkboard, and she pronounced a few letters strangely. She also had the only voice that could match Karkats, which made their verbal jousts all the more amusing.

"See you later, Karkat. I'd love to keep debating the acting scope of your favourite porn actors, but I've got to get to work. It's been kind of busy lately, actually! Some idiot got high and ran around town yelling religious mumbo-jumbo, and now he's trying to avoid several heavy fines. Treat Nepeta well or I'll tip 2 dollars in small change next time!"

Grinning like a madwoman, she left. After her, the store went into a quiet period. Karkat sighed, leaning back against the bench after she was gone, making sure she wasn't walking by the window as he showed a moment of weakness, at least for him. She may have been blind, but sometimes it was scary, the things she knew. Nepeta piped up while cleaning out the Coffee Machine.

"You know, if you don't like her, you could just let me serve her. I'm sure I could manage to not hold up four customers while discussing my favourite movies with her."

If it were anyone else, Karkat would have delivered a verbal lashing to them, but Nepeta was someone who could get away with it, mostly because she was one of the few people who took him seriously.

"What, and make you deal with her bullshit? No, I can handle it, thank you very much. She's not even as annoying as she thinks she is!"

"You know, you do spend a lot of time talking to her. Do I sense some kind of attraction buried deep inside you?"

Karkat was momentarily stunned. Nepeta was definitely a shipper, but she kept it under control and hidden almost all the time. But it was times like this that showed just how weird she could be.

"You think, that because I spend a given amount of time disagreeing with someone every day on a random subject, there's some kind of attraction? You've been reading weirder novels than I have, and trust me, that's saying something. No, I don't have any attraction for that insane blind lawyer, why even would I? We have literally nothing in common."

"You know, just saying 'No' would have been just fine. Why are you so desperate to justify yourself?"

Nepeta was looking up at Karkat with eyes that could only be described as Devious, a slight grin on her face. The only thing that saved Karkat from having to answer again was the jingle of the bell above the entrance, alerting them to a new customer. They both turned to meet the newcomer, who was... Big. Very big. Not just in height, but in muscle. He was built like an action hero, with a shoulder-length mane of black hair, and slightly shipped sunglasses.

Before Karkat could even pass comment, Nepeta bolted from behind the counter, Leaping up and tackling the man in a display of affection, almost knocking him back out the door. He grunted, gently setting her down after a hug. He seemed a little stiff, despite obviously knowing Nepeta. She spoke first, voice almost cracking with excitement.

"Equius! It's been so, long, how have you been?!"

**Authors Note-**_ Thanks for reading the first chapter! This is something I've been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I knocked the first chapter together now! It's a bit dry, what with Character Introductions, but I promise more plot is bound to happen soon! Until then, I'd love reviews if you have the time!_


	2. Chapter 2

Nepeta and Equius retired to a table in the far corner, discussing what had happened in the absense of each other. Even if Karkat couldn't hear anything, he would've known that that the two had a lot of affection for each other, in such a brother/sister kind of way that it was strange how different they looked. Even so, he could hear them, and although he tried not to, eavesdropped on their situation.

"Greetings once again, Nepeta. It has been far too long since we last spoke. I believe we were both still in high school when last we were in communication. What have you been doing since then?" 

His speech, karkat thought, was strangely stilted, stuttering. Not in a nervous way, but in a stiff way, like he was mulling every few words around before deciding that they were upstanding enough. He must have had some royal blood in him, or at least was very enamoured with the idea, despite having the getup of someone who lived in a gym.

"I've been great! I was drifting for a while after High School, but I did a few Vetinary courses, and now I'm working here to pass the time until a good job opens up! The clinic here doesn't have any openings and it's the one I want to work at the most! This place isn't so bad though either!"

Equius' permanent frown changed into... A frown. Karkat didn't know the man well, but he seemed like the kind of person who's face constantly resembled a bouncer dealing with a particularly obnoxious drunk. However, he looked concerned now, casting his eyes about the establishment.

"Are you sure about working here? It is rather... Unclean, if I may say so. And that head Barista looks as though he should not be running a Coffee Shop, or any kind of establishment. And are you sure you can handle the people who come through here?" 

Karkat was about to interject, but Nepeta had quite a frightful look on her face and was standing now, barely taller than Equius even though he was sitting. Her hands were on the table as she leaned over it, never wavering nor breaking eye contact, barely even blinking as she spoke in a low tone that brooked absolutely no argument.

"Equius, I know you worry about me, but I am not, and nor have I ever been, helpless or fragile. I enjoy working here, and Karkat is a perfectly adequate Barista. The manager is rarely ever in, so he runs the place almost all by himself! And the people who come here are great, I'm friends with almost all of them! Can't you just be happy that I've found something I enjoy? Or are you still sore over that girl who rejected you?"

Karkat had no idea what either of them were going on about, but he did enjoy being defended, complimented even. Equius, though, looked taken aback, and even a little hurt. Obviously, he hadn't expected Nepeta to lash out at him so suddenly, and he slouched a little in his chair. Nepeta realised what she'd said, and immediately backed off.

"Equius, I'm-... I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I just... We haven't seen each other in more than three years, and the first thing you do when we finally meet again is criticise me? How am I supposed to respond to that? I'm so sorry about mentioning her, though. That was out of line."

Equius sighed and shook his head, looking more tired than concerned or taken aback now. He shifted forward in his seat, looking at Nepeta with a more brotherly concern this time, more relaxed.

"I should apologise, if anyone must. I didn't mean to be so... Fiddlesticks, quite so intrusive about this. I'm very proud of you for finding something you enjoy doing, and I wish you all the best for your future. I've merely been worrying about you since we graduated, even though we promised not to."

Nepeta grinned and ran around the table, pulling him into another hug. Both of them looked happier now, more at ease with each others presence. Despite how blatantly different the pair were, they seemed to be right at home with each other, and even Karkat smiled as he watched them. Finally, they seemed to notice his presence and came over, Nepeta grinning still with that catlike grin as she introduced them.

"Karkat, this is Equius! He's been my best friend since primary school! He gave me this beanie, you know! Equius, this is Karkat. He's sort of my boss, but not really. He's kind of a grump when you first meet him, but once you get used to that he's a sweet guy!"

Equius looked down at Karkat, which was hardly a surprised. He was the kind of person who towered over you no matter how tall you were, and it was pretty damn imposing, given his physique. A muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth as he extended a hand. Karkat took it, almost crying out as Equius proceeded to crush his hand in a scarily competent imitation of a vice. Karkat could feel his knuckles grating against each other as Equius, who quickly realised what was going on, released him.

"Oh! Please forgive me, sir! I sometimes forget my own strength, I truly didn't mean to hurt you."

Karkat looked up at him, still rubbing his hand and trying to decide if he was serious. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would hurt people just to spite them, but he never knew. In fact, he hardly knew anything about this guy. Still, it was better to play it positive.

"Don't worry about it. I'll live. You've got a hell of a grip though. I'm pretty sure you almost dislocated about three knuckles. Anyway, you want a coffee or something? Any friend of Nepeta's is a potential customer."

Nepeta playfully hit him in the arm as he got behind the counter, Equius pondering over the menu. A frown came over his features as he looked through what was on offer, before finally speaking up.

"...Is there no Kopi Luwak here? It happens to be one of my favourites."

Nepeta tried, she really did. Composure was necessary in these kinds of situations, and he was her dearest friend. But in the end, laughter won out and she collapsed over the counter, punching the bench in fits of laughter as Equius looked on in mild concern and major confusion. Karkat, too, was having trouble keeping his composure, which was rare.

"I don't know where you come from, but you do know how that coffee is made, right? I mean... If you actually drink it, you probably don't, but do you?" 

Equius, nonplussed, shook his head. Nepeta finally stopped laughing long enough to choke out half an explanation.

"Cat...poop...coffee..."

And with those elegant words, she collapsed back into hysteria, tears of mirth streaming down her face, cheeks red with laughter. Equius double-took, the words linking together in several ways, none of them good. Karkat, ever the more mature of the duo, gave a more thorough explanation.

"That coffee is... Produced by cats who eat the beans and shit them out again. You're drinking shit coffee."

Equius turned a rather interesting shade of green. Obviously he didn't actually know this. Sitting back down in a nearby seat, he remained silent. Eventually, Nepet got herself under control, gasping and panting, falling into a chair alongside him.

"I'm sorry Equius, that was really mean... But... Oh wow, I didn't know you actually drank that stuff."

Karkat tuned out of the conversation, waiting for the bell to ring again, signifying another Customer. Soon enough, it did, and inside stepped Karkats closest friend. He was a strange person, for sure. His usual attire was a shirt that was half black and half whic, blue and red glasses, and half and half shoes, same as his shirt. He has a slight overbite, not really noticeable, but enough to give him a lisp. As usual, he had a laptop on him. He walked to the counter, casually sidestepping Nepeta and Equius.

"Hey KK. I'll just take whatever you can be fucked making, I'm not feeling picky. What's up?"

Karkat set about making a coffee, recounting the current days events to Sollux Captor. Sollux was an IT legend. He'd created programs for big name companies, just to hack into them later to prove a point. He was pretty infamous amongst hacker circles for his daring escapades, although he toed the line of legality quite carefully.

"Hey Sollux. Not much shit today, thank god. Terezi came in and tried to fuck up my day, again. Long story short, I have a fuckton of five cent pieces to count again. Also, Nepeta's friend from years back came to visit, he's here now."

Sollux turned to look at... A face he recognised, and one who was staring back at him. Wasn't that...

"KK, I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta run. Now."

Karkat looked over and realised why,. Equius was looking over at him with an expression that could only be described as murderous, and was rising from his chair as Sollux grabbed his stuff. Nepeta, sensing danger, distracted him as Sollux sprinted for the door. Karkat approached Equius, anger written on his features.

"You mind telling me why the fuck you were giving one of my customers and close friends that kind of stinkeye? I could evict you from the premises for that kind of bullshit."

Equius, who thankfully had everything under control, shook his head, sitting straight in his chair. Nepeta had a soothing hand on his shoulder, patting his back every so often as he spoke.

"That's the one who took the girl of my dreams... Petty, I know, but I truly did love her. I worked so hard to win her affections, and then he simply came along and ruined everything. Suddenly, she didn't have the time to look at me, and it was all his fault."

A slight growl came out at the end of the sentence, and the table creaked as he applied pressure. Karkat sighed, crossing his arms.

"Look, that's high school bullshit that I don't have time for. Now stop trying to break my table, and if I ever see you looking to hurt him or anyone else in this place again, you're own on your dumb ass for good."

So saying, he turned and headed back into the storeroom, leaving Nepeta to deal with Equius. He took out his phone, and... Sure enough, Sollux was messaging him. Not one to leave a close friend hanging, Karkat continued their conversation, waiting for the bell to jingle once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Nepeta soon had Equius totally calm again, although not without almost losing her temper herself. She talked to him for a long while about his actions and the past, and he soon came around. Nepeta seemed to have a way, if not with words, with him, knowing what to say and when to say it to calm him down again, no matter how angered he seemed to be. The large man was quiet thoughout much of her speech, nodding quietly or making small noises of assent before it was over and he was quietly apologising, although not to Karkat.

Speaking of, the grouch was sitting in the storeroom. He may have been on shift, but the manager, his older brother in fact, was often, almost always, away on what he liked to call business, and which consisted of finding schools around the state that hadn't heard of him and giving lectures to wayward students about the dangers of essentially everything. It would have been funny had it not been quite so strange.

Ragardless, he had messages to respond to. Sollux had fled the store, but there was still a lot of catching up to do between the two. They may have been friends, but their friendship may have been stranger than nepeta and Equius'. They didn't miraculously become happier people around each other, in fact, they seemed to rub each other the wrong way, only making each other angrier, and louder, and yet it was like they attracted each other because of it. Their banter was like swordplay, bouncing and clashing off each others words. They talked and talked, losing track of the time. Customers might have come and gone, but it was up to Nepeta to deal with that, something she only did because Karkat knew he'd have to do every clean up chore on the list.

Nearing the end of the day, customer activity sped up a little once more, as usual. Anyone who works in a retail store can tell you that business flows and ebbs with the times, with people coming and going to work, home, and everything in between. Still, the store at peak rarely sore a high flow of customers. Equius had said his goodbyes and left, although he was residing in the town now. Terezi avoided the store, and Sollux was making himself busy.

The sun began to sink low in the sky, bathing the pale blue in brilliant orange, yellow and gold, as though the heavens were ablaze. Oftentimes Karkat would cease work for a little while just to gaze upwards. The moon was visible despite the light, a white crescent resplendant in what little blue was left in the sky. Unfortunately, he had no time for such things tonight- His messaging antics meant he was cleaning up after everyone. He grumbled all the way through sweeping, and through mopping, and dishwashing, and all the other chores. Earlier on, Nepeta had said her goodbyes and left, leaving Karkat totally alone in the store.

Much later he was done, and by this point, the sun had almost totally set in the sky. Few cars were passing through, briefly illimunating the path as he locked up the door behind him and walked towards his home, which was about 20 minutes on foot. He reasoned that it was worth the exercise, and cars were too expensive right now anyway. Close to the shop was a tall, lanky young man who, while close to Karkats age, seemed to be a totally difference species from all he encountered.

Yes, Gamzee Makara was definitely a strange one, although looking at him gave that away pretty fast. Juggalo facepaint on constantly, and if one looked close, the traces of scars from his left eye to his nose. Nobody knew quite how he'd gotten those scars, and nobody cared enough to ask. Gamzee whiled away his days "busking" which usually meant sitting around and lazily strumming his guitar, stringing a few chords together and humming along if he felt it was worth it. Despite his apparent total lack of skill in any fields musically inclined, he had become something of a staple in the day of many who passed him by, much like the coffee they were going to get.

Karkat tossed a few coins into the old, battered leather guitar case and sat down beside Gamzee. He didn't have any deep-seated affection for the music, but the man himself seemed to be wiser than his appearance would suggest. He was always happy to "get his greet on to a motherfucker" as he so eloquently put it, and would happily set aside his music to listen to someone, or offer whatever advice he wasn't too out of it to offer.

"Yo, my closest friend! You look a bit more tired than usual, anything got you in a motherfuckin' twist?"

"Wow, you always know exactly what to say to make me want to roll my eyes so hard they swivel out of their sockets. Of COURSE I'm tired, I just did ALL the cleanup chores. Also, Terezi, Also, Nepeta's old friend Equius came out of nowhere and insulted me and the restaurant and fucking near tore the place apart."

"Shit man, that don't sound nearly good. I met that Equius guy, though. Definitely walks like he's got a golden stick up his ass, although he wasn't in much of an appreciatin' mood when I told him that. Almost thought I'd have to change my location permanent-like, but he spotted your assistant in the shop and immediately forgot all about me. Miracles, brother. I tell you."

"Oh god, you would have had to move. Do you even have it in you to move? I'd be surprised if you don't actually live here, holy shit. You're right about that golden stick though, I've never seen anyone so uptight. The stupid bastard told us he drank cat shit coffee though, so he kind of lost the nobility points there."

Gamzee, Karkat noted, was almost impervious to insults. No matter who yelled, cussed at, cursed or directly insulted him, he would respond with a customary smile and an attempt to help them, before turning right back to his guitar and strumming away. Karkat found it slightly infuriating, the way he never could get mad. Then again, a lot of things pissed Karkat off.

He picked himself up from the ground and continued on his way, feeling something jangle in his pocket. Cheking, he was surprised to discover the change he'd tossed to Gamzee had surreptitiously found it's way back into his pocket. He hadn't even felt Gamzee do that! Was he some kind of money-returning ninja? He shook his head, moving on towards home. There was a lot he didn't know about many people, and it didn't do well for him to bode on it.

Finally getting home, the rest of his day became a blur. Find spare clothes, prepare dinner, shower, eat dinner, grab blanket, make tea, curl up on couch, watch romcom. The moon was hanging high in the sky by now, and the only lumination in the house came from Karkats television as he caught up on his favourite shows, feeling his eyelids become heavy soon enough. Finally, he was in bed, alarm set, ready for the next day.

The next day, Karkat got into the coffee store first, which was hardly a surprise. Nepeta was often five or ten minutes later than him, owing to her "need" to stop by the pet store, or stores, on the way, aned individually greet each animal in the store. It was a strange trait of hers that would have been endearing, if it didn't mean she was late.

Fifteen minutes later, she still wasn't around. Karkat began to shift uneasily. She was never quite this late. Maybe she'd slept in?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **_Thanks so much for the favorites and follows! It means so much to me that there are people willing to pay attention to this horrible, cliche-riddled thing so I'm working a little harder on it now!_

The very first thing Nepeta registered when she came to her senses was pain. Blinding, fiery pain that whited out all of her other senses, lancing through every pore, every fiber of her being relentlessly, relenting barely only to come back just as strong, even stronger sometimes. Her sense of hearing started to return and she heard a distant, piteous wailing, and realised it was her. Other voices, urgent and quick, came in, and dark sillhouetes entered her field of view, moving fast. In a few minutes, everything dimmed quickly and she was back into the void, memory of the previous pain, and everything else, almost totally gone.

Karkat was pacing in his store. She was never this late. He'd called her phone and gone straight to the messaging system. That wasn't totally unexpected, her not being totally fond of them. Half an hour past when she usually showed up, he finally opened the store, for all the good it did. Nobody came in, nobody passed by. He noted the dulcet tones of Gamzee starting up just across the road. He sighed and went back inside, walking out with two hot chocolates and setting himself beside Gamzee and silently handing one to the busker, who accepted with a nod.

For a while, the pair was silent, Gamzee strumming softly on his battered little guitar. Karkat eventually spoke, finding his voice surprisingly steady despite the worry in him.

"Have you seen Nepeta? She's supposed to be in the store, and I can't even reach her phone. It's not like her at all to be like this, I'm actually kind of worried about her."

"Bro, take a chill pill. She's probably just sleeping in after a night of gettin' her party on! You'll see, you're gonna get a call with her apologisin' the fuck out of herself, and soon everything's gonna get its normal right back on."

It made sense, Karkat knew. But in his head, thoughts were still racing, around and around, arriving at the worst situations every time. He knew he was being silly. The odds were ridiculously low of something happening! But at the same time, how would anyone know if it did? He began to shudder, standing up and throwing his drink into a bin, pacing again. Gamzee only watched him, not moving an inch himself.

He paced like that for a few minutes, before giving a curt farewell and heading back into the store, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. Grey clouds were starting to dim the sky, despite it not even being midday, and it darkened his thoughts with it. Still no news on his assistant. This was starting to become less a chance of sleeping in, and his worrying increased. He didn't know where she lived, so he couldn't exactly search for her.

His thoughts were abruptly stalled by the jingle of the doorbell. He turned around, greeting the newcomer. It was a somewhat tall guy, pale skin, with sky-blue eyes and strange hair. He was about to tell him that the store hadn't openned yet, owing to the absense of a critical employee, but stopped as he noted the newcomers expression. Downcast, hurting. The man spoke softly, hiding within himself, as though he knew he was going to be attacked for what he said.

"Hey, you... You run this place, right? Um... Look, I know you're going to get angry, so please, stay as calm as you can, but... Last night, I got behind the wheel, despite being a little drunk, and... Oh, fuck, how do I say this..."

He sat down across the table from Karkat, who was unable to think straight. Was this conversation going where he thought it was? Because if it did, this guy was right to expect retribution. His fists clenched and unclenched under the table, ready to lash out at the slightest provocation. He took a deep, shuddering breath, steadying himself, before nodding at the stranger to continue.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... I ran over your employee. The one with the cleft lip. She's in hospital now, in... I don't know, she went straight to the emergency ward but I think she stabilised? Look, I'm really sorry, I know this is all my fault, and-"

His would-be apology was interrupted as Karkats chair flew backwards into the wall, almost indenting it. Karkat stood almost taller than he normally did, fury written across his features more than ever before. He didn't even realise what he was screaming, but he was raining vocal wrath down on the stranger, and would have beaten him to death with his bare hands if a lanky pair of arms hadn't wrapped around him from behind, holding him fast. Blindly, he lashed out, kicking, elbowing and hitting with the back of his head, but the stranger, if anything, only tightened their grip, holding him fast until he was exhausted, The stranger hadn't moved an inch, and Karkat became aware that his head was in his hands, shoulders wracked with sobs. Karkats body loosened and he found himself falling back into a chair,. Beside him, Gamzee winced as he sat down, and Karkat realised just who had held him back.

"Hey again, bro... Didn't mean to grab you like that, but I heard you screamin' and came running over, and... Fuck, I don't think I've ever seen a motherfucker as angry as you were getting. I had to grab you before you murdered this guy, for your own fuckin' good."

Karkat sat back down, unable to speak for his fury and his tired panting. The stranger was unable to look either of them in the eye. Fuck, it served him right. What would serve him better was a few fists in choice locations, but he didn't have the energy for it anymore. Slowly, he rose, Gamzee keeping a close eye on him, but violence wasn't on his mind. He left the store, not even bothering to close up before heading off towards the hospital. It was a pretty long walk, which was good. He needed time to figure out what he was going to say if Nepeta was awake when he got there. She couldn't have died from a simple car crash. Nepeta was too... Permanent? She'd always been the same, from the moment she'd bounced into the store and asked if he was hiring, despite there being no indication he was, or that he was even the manager.

He hadn't even been all that willing to have her working there. It was hard on his own but he was comfortable on his own too, and wanted it to stay that way. But she didn't give up. She later would reveal that this was because nobody else wanted her, almost making her like a stray puppy. He couldn't just let her be jobless in a world like this, it was needlessly cruel.

So, he took her under his wing, almost instantly regretting it. She was difficult to teach at best, and nigh impossible at worst. The only thing that kept her in the store was her unfailing determination to learn the damned work, and her insane ability to be kind no matter who was in the store. As aforementioned, the hipster who'd plucked up the courage to sexually assault her while she was preparing his drink served as an easy reminder to anyone else that this was no sign of weakness at all.

He almost smiled as he walked towards the hospital, remembering all this. She'd certainly never given up in any area, and although she seemed like a slow learner, within two months she had the whole job down pat. Although she'd certainly messed up later, wounding herself occasionally and coming dangerously close to wounding him. But she'd made herself too invaluable to fire, although that may have been due in part, to his affection for the idea of ordering people around.

Lost in his thoughts, the hospital eventually loomed in the distance. Funny, he thought, how every other time it had seemed like a place of solace and healing. Now, he was a little afraid to go in, to face what awaited him. What if something had gone wrong? What if she was already- No. He could absolutely not think like that. He had to be strong. When he walked in there Nepeta would need to see someone strong, someone happy to see her.

He straightened himself up and walked on, entering the hospital. Inside, he walked to a desk, and inquired as to her location. He was informed, to his dismay, that she was in the ICU still. Still, he pressed on. Visiting hours for non-relatives were just beginning, and soon, he was just outside her room. Taking a deep breath, he walked in...

...To discover her asleep, breathing shallowly. He hadn't been told she was asleep. The monitors were beeping louder than she was breathing. He almost cried at the sight. Almost. He was stronger than that, or so he liked to think. He sat beside her bed, looking closely at her. There were fading wounds on her face, and it was still easy to see that the crash hadn't been gentle at all. He tried to speak, but broken words were all that could come out.

He was saved having to say something by the entry of someone else, who he immediately recognised as Equius. Equius had definitely been past the point of tears, but was putting on a stoic face. He, too, had been expecting Nepeta to be awake, it seemed. Karkat vacated the only seat in the room for him, leaning against the wall as Equius muttered quietly to his closest friend, his hoarse baritone echoing softly, inaudibly. Karkat noticed his clenched fists, the bruised and bloodied knuckles. He hoped nobody had been on the recieving and of his anger.

Karkat slid down the wall, unable to think, or do anything other than worry about Nepeta. He was eventually told the bad news- Nepeta was supposed to be awake and out of ICU, but an unfortunate accident led to her being given a sedative that was far too strong, and she'd fallen into a deep and dangerous sleep, and all they could do was hope she woke up. Thoughts raced around him quickly, too quick to comprehend, and everything faded into a blur.


	5. Chapter 5

Time passed in the ICU. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes into an eternity. Karkat recieved no information about Nepetas condition, something which simultaneously worried and comforted him. He was fairly sure that if Nepeta wasn't going to make it, the hospital staff would at least afford him the dignity of knowing that she wouldn't.

Equius didn't look quite as... Well, he wouldn't have dared call himself composed at the moment, but whetever he was, it was angrier than Karkat found himself. His knuckles were nearly white they were clenched so hard, and he'd stopped talking some time ago. Karkat didn't dare try to open communication right now.

Eventually, it was time for the visitors to leave, and both of them were ushered out. Equius was given a rather wider berth than karkat, his tight demeanour couples with his physique painting the picture of a man who wasn't to be told something he didn't want to hear. Karkat lost himself in thought as he walked from the car park, regretting not having a car for the first time. Dimly, he recalled that he'd left the shop open all day, but pushed it to the back of his mind. He'd deal with the inevitable thefts and vandalism tomorrow.

He was dragging his feet by the time he reached his home. Had the day really drained him that much? He supposed it hadn't been the easiest of days, but emotional draining couldn't really affect his physical wellbeing so much, could it? Shaking his head, he dislodged rhetorical questions from his mind before he chased them in circles, dropping down on the couch.

That was when the first tear fell. His defences finally crumbled as his head fell into his hands, hiccuping sobs echoing throughout the lonely place he called home. Nepeta wasn't dead, but that didn't change the fact that she wasn't on the brink of life or death at all. He'd also assaulted Gamzee and lost a whole days worth of money, something that would haunt him with extra, hard hours and possibly even a second job for many months to come.

His tearful reverie was interrupted with a knock at the door. Karkat shot to his feet. Nobody ever visited here. As far as he knew, nobody knew or cared where he lived so long as he gave the people who knew him something to drink. Maybe there was some strange, angry mob of coffee lovers awaiting their drinks. Or not, because that was legitimately the dumbest thought that had ever entered his head and he was obvously mentally deficient for thinking it.

He slowly opened the door, not caring for the streaks of water down his high cheekbones. At the door was someone who looked remarkably like him, dressed in a red sweatshirt, accompanied by both Gamzee and Terezi, of all people. The sight was so strange that for a few seconds all he could do was blink, before he furiously cleaned his face, red eyes still a dead giveaway.

Kankri Vantas was the first to speak up, in that gentle, lilting tone of his that betrayed nothing of his intention to talk the ear off of anyone that looked like they might be interested. For now, though, it looked like he had something other than inane preaching to do, stepping in closer and assessing Karkat.

"I heard what happened to the employee. It wasn't your fault. Terezi has been making motions to have all medical fees paid by the drunk driver, and there really isn't anything anyone can do to stop her. I asked around and for some reason, only Gamzee here knows where you live. Strangeties aside, I offer my condolences, and if there's anything I can do to help, rest assured that I will do my best to make it happen."

Terezi and Gamzee followed him into the flat, flicking on the lights and seating themselves quietly. Karkat followed the trio in dumbly, unsure of whether to be mad or just content that people cared enough to actually visit him. However, the previous issues still echoed on his mind. He chose not to speak of them. The last thing he needed was to drag the few friends he had down into the same dumps he was in, so he just put a kettle on and soon, everyone had a mug of tea in front of them.

They talked, eventually. About Nepeta, and how they all knew her. On some level, Karkat knew this was wrong. She wasn't dead, and all signs pointed to her making it out of this incident perfectly alright, with no permanent injuries, but the idea that she might truly die was a sobering thought, and it felt like a necessity to think of her as much as possible, whether or not she ever came into work again.

Once more, time passed, as solemnly as it always did. Kankri was the first to go, apologising for his continued absense, which basically assured continued absense in his terms, and left, having hardly touched his tea. Gamzee was next, giving Karkat a mostly unwelcome hug before leaving, off to wherever it was that he spent his nights.

Then, it was just him and Terezi. Karkat fidgeted uncomfortably, remembering Nepetas recent words about his attraction to her, which, he eventually had to admit, rang scarily true. When Terezi wasn't pushing his buttons, she was a competent, clever person whos interests matched his own more often than not, although this was more than either of them would ever admit.

Terezi finally spoke first, breaking the deafening silence of the apartment.

"Karkat... Are you going to... You know, be alright? God, I know it's stupid to ask, but I don't know what else to say. I guess I should leave soon, but I don't want to until I know you're not going to go on some insane rampage and try to kill the guy who... Injured... Nepeta."

He sighed, looking down at his hands. Sure enough, he'd had plenty of offhand thoughts about what he might do to the drunk driver who'd ruined a large piece of his world, but for all his anger and bravado, Karkat Vantas was not violent. He'd talked himself into trouble time and again through his life, but in the end, raising his fists was more than he could bear.

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I'm just not built for that kind of thing, you know? I hate the guy who did this, believe you me, but no matter how this ends I'll never be able to physically hurt him. It wouldn't even fix anything, you know? Not that I care about fixing anything at this point, god knows today has been such a royal fuck up that it's going to take me months to sort out all the cash and pay for Nepeta's hospital fees and still pay all my bills and-"

That was as far as he got before slim arms wrapped around him and suddenly Terezi's scent was his world. He'd teared up again, unbeknownst to himself, and he sniffled and Terezi held him quietly. This was so against who he knew her to be that for a second he thought himself to be dreaming, until she spoke.

"You're going to be alright, Karkat. Today has been terrible for you, but it's just one day, and it's almost over. Things will pick up again tomorrow, same as they always do. I hate that you'll have to work so soon after this kind of tragedy, but I know you're sturdy enough to do it."

Eventually, the two broke their embrace, looking at each other despite Terezi's eerily blank eyes. Karkat found himself moving a little closer. If Terezi noticed, she didn't back away, possibly even reciprocating the forward movement if he wasn't mistaken.

He wasn't, and soon the two were together again, arms around each other as Terezi sat beside him on the couch, huddled into him. Then, before either of them really knew it, their lips met silently, the soft yellow light illumating the two figures softly as they met, sat beside each other and yet with no space between them, falling slowly onto the couch.

Karkat lay atop Terezi, panting as their lips left each other. However, he found himself without the desire to go further, quite understandably. Wordlessly, Terezi nodded, and the two retired to the bedroom. Not for carnal acts, or quiet lovemaking, but merely for each others presence. They passed out together, breating softly as their heartbeats aligned, the moon shinining high in the sky.


End file.
